Titanic’s Forgotten Twin Unveils Its Secrets: Britannic’s Sinking and the First Artifacts
Archaeologists have recovered treasures from the wreck of Britannic, Titanic’s forgotten twin. Built by the same company as the Titanic, Britannic was designed as a luxury liner but was requisitioned during World War I as a hospital ship. On its final voyage, which began on 12 November 1916, the vessel struck a German mine and sank in about 55 minutes in the Aegean Sea, nine days later. Captain Bartlett had considered beaching Britannic near Kea Island, 12.6 kilometers away, but chose against it because water rushed into the moving ship too quickly. The evacuation began about 7 kilometers from the island.
In This Article:
Britannic: The Luxury Liner Requisitioned as a Hospital Ship
The Britannic was built by the White Star Line, the same company behind the Titanic, and was conceived as a luxurious passenger liner. During the war, she was converted into a hospital ship, ferrying wounded sailors and soldiers. Her final voyage began on 12 November 1916. Nine days later, after striking a German mine, she sank in 55 minutes in the Aegean Sea. Captain Bartlett had wanted to beach the ship near Kea Island to save it, but he judged the situation too dangerous, as water rushed in faster than the vessel could be stabilized.
Recovery from the Deep: The First Artifacts Surface
In May this year, a team of 11 divers retrieved priceless relics from the sunken liner. Among the artifacts are a ship’s bell, a left-side navigation lantern, silver-plated first-class passenger trays, a tile from a Turkish bath, a pair of binoculars, and a porcelain washbasin from a second-class cabin. The divers used closed-circuit, breathing apparatus that recycles air, removing carbon dioxide and adding fresh oxygen to allow deep exploration without traditional air tanks.
Underwater Work: Rebreathers, Currents and Low Visibility
Conditions at the Britannic wreck were harsh: strong currents and poor visibility made operations difficult. As a result, not every item on the plan could be recovered; some objects were too damaged or tucked away in hard-to-reach places. The recovered pieces were brought to the laboratory of the Association of European Universities (EUA) in Athens for conservation.
From Sea Bed to Museum: A Century of History Heads to Greece’s National Museum of Underwater Antiquities
Porcelain washbasin remained pristine white, while the silvered trays corroded under the sea. The porcelain bowl bears a bright blue 'White Star Line' stamp, a reminder of Britannic’s origins. All artifacts will join the future National Museum of Underwater Antiquities in the port of Piraeus. Britannic was 269 meters long, 28.65 meters wide, 18.4 meters high, and had a gross tonnage of 48,158, making her the largest British ship of her time. She left Liverpool on 23 December 1915 for Mudros, Greece. In 1975, Jacques-Yves Cousteau located Britannic, lying on its right side at a depth of 122 meters, largely intact aside from a massive bow breach.
